Add-On MEmaNtine to Dopamine Antagonism to Improve Negative Symptoms at First Psychosis- the AMEND Trial Protocol.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Antipsychotic drugs are primarily efficacious in treating positive symptoms by blocking the dopamine D2 receptor, but they fail to substantially improve negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. The limited efficacy may be attributed to the fact that the pathophysiology of psychosis involves multiple neurotransmitter systems. In patients with chronic schizophrenia, memantine, a non-competitive glutamatergic NMDA receptor antagonist, shows promise for ameliorating negative symptoms and improving cognition. Yet, it is unknown how memantine modulates glutamate levels, and memantine has not been investigated in patients with first-episode psychosis.

Aims

This investigator-initiated double-blinded randomized controlled trial is designed to (1) test the clinical effects

SUBMITTER: Sandstrom KO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9163784 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature